


Flowers

by suzannahbee123



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Awkward Bucky, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Sassy Reader, Soft Bucky, soft romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-08-14 12:13:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20192092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suzannahbee123/pseuds/suzannahbee123
Summary: Love can take a while, but the right love is always worth time, and some old fashioned gestures.





	Flowers

The first time you met James Buchanan Barnes was absolutely the luckiest day of your life, only _he _could’ve helped you in your time of need. This wasn’t an exaggeration, he was a super soldier, you were wearing heels, and the man that mugged you of your purse on the streets of New York had jumped on the back of a motorbike and sped away.

** **

Not unlike a stereotypical damsel in distress, you had fallen to the floor as the man had pulled your bag from your shoulder, and you had _screamed, _“Help! He stole my bag! Somebody _HELP ME!”_

** **

Definitely not your finest moment.

** **

Then, in a moment straight out of an action movie, the tall dark haired saviour had run past you, and towards the speeding vehicle, going much, _much _faster than should’ve been humanly possible. He looked like a dark avenging demon as he leapt onto the roof of a car, and then launched himself at the thief, tackling him and his motorbike to the ground. The struggle was so brief as to be ridiculous, but the asshole that had robbed you was apprehended and the small crowd that had gathered applauded.

** **

When your saviour brought your bag over to you, now with one broken strap but thankfully all its contents still inside, you could actually _feel _yourself simper at him. The man was… well, _gorgeous _didn’t quite do him justice, but he was certainly something you never thought you would see with your own two eyes outside of a magazine cover.

** **

His was the type of beauty that was just not plausible. Masculine, dark, sensuous… his was the face and build of someone who would be at home on an ancient battlefield, fighting for his country’s honour, and yet his bone structure and those _lips, _were straight from a romance novel cover, the breeze that blew his shoulder length chestnut brown hair back from his face only helped you picture yourself in his arms in a heaving bosom revealing dress. And his _eyes! _Such beautiful blue eyes, the colour of the early morning sky, just after a sunrise and just as clear as a summer’s day-

** **

“Ma’am? Here’s your bag? And uh, cops need a statement, would y’like me to wait with you? I think you’re in shock,”

** **

The god man was talking to you. Might be a good idea to answer him. You open your mouth to thank him, really, the most wonderfully expressive and articulate thank you speech was right _there _on the tip of your tongue, but instead what you say was:

** **

“Oh, my… I feel faint.”

** **

And then, the sidewalk rose up to meet your face and you passed out him his arms. Wonderful.

** **

You wake up to the sense that not much time had passed, hushed voices and those amazing blue eyes staring down at you in concern,

** **

“Hey, how are you feelin’? You gave me quite the scare there, doll,”

** **

“Am I laying on the sidewalk?”

** **

“Better than the road, which was where you were headed if I hadn’t caught you,”

** **

“I’m Y/N,” you hold out your hand to the beautiful man, who is starting to look familiar to you, now you’re just chilling out and not stressing about your rent money being stolen, “thank you for helping me,”

** **

“I’m Bucky, and I’m glad I could help. That’s a huge amount of money to have in cash, Y/N,” the god man, who was _definitely_ that Avenger you had seen in the press on occasion, chastised you softly, “the cops are starting to think you’re a mid rank drug dealer or something. You’re not, are you?”

** **

The look in his eyes told you that he was joking, but your stomach still lurched unpleasantly, “No! I just- it’s my rent money! And well, _all _my money! I sold all my old photography equipment to pay my bills, but the guy I sold it to only had cash because he was so old-”

** **

“Careful, Y/N, don’t be ageist,” Bucky chuckled, making your face heat up in embarrassment. _He _was over 100 years old, for God’s sake!

** **

“I didn’t… anyway, I _have _to get that money to the bank! That’s where I was going!”

** **

“Okay, okay! Don’t get yourself worked up, darlin’, let’s go and talk to the cops and they’ll call the guy that you sold the stuff to, okay? Then, I’ll get ya to the bank, get all this sorted out,”

** **

“You’ll help me?”

** **

“Sure, can’t leave ya on your own, not after the shock that you just had! How about we start by getting you up off this sidewalk though, huh?”

** **

“Oh…” You let him pull you to your feet and you brush yourself off awkwardly. As far as embarrassment goes… the first time you met Bucky was pretty high on the scale.

** **

Bucky, however, didn’t seem to be bothered. He stuck around the rest of the day, standing at your back like a tall and handsome man shaped guard dog as the police questioned you, and bringing you some water to keep you hydrated after your idiotic fainting fit. He was there at the bank with you, and he walked you home, even offering to go and get you some take out food so you could rest as much as possible.

** **

“Seriously, I’m _fine, _Bucky!” You laugh outside the door to your building, “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me today, but you don’t need to worry about me. All my bills are paid and you got the man who stole from me and he’s in prison now! All’s well that ends okay!”

** **

“Okay, well… here’s my number,” Bucky held out his hand for your phone, and you handed it over, a smirk on your face as he painstakingly typed in his details, “call me if you need anything? In fact, call me in the morning, I don’t care what time, let me know that you’re awake and you didn’t die in your sleep or something.”

** **

Hysterical laughter bubbles up from nowhere, and the moonlit street is lit up with your giggles, “Morbid, but I like it! Okay, I’ll call you in the morning. Should I text you when I get in safe and sound too? So you don’t worry about me? It’s a tactic I used to have to use on my grandmother,”

** **

“There ya go, bein’ all ageist again,” but Bucky’s perfect full lips tilt up in a smile, “but yes… text me when you get upstairs. Let me know you’re safe.”

** **

“I will. You need to reply to tell me that _you _got home safe too, Bucky.” You tease, enjoying how his mouth dropped open in shock, “This isn’t the forties anymore. Women can care about men’s safety in New York too.”

** **

“Yeah, yeah. Get upstairs, ya crazy broad,” Bucky shoo’s you away and you happily turn your back on him to head home. You keep your promise and text him, and he keeps his as well. The whole night you text each other, another movie plot trope that you can’t help but be ecstatic that you get to live. 

** **

In the morning you wake up to the delivery of a huge bunch of flowers, a cacophony of colours and scents, wildflowers and baby’s breath and all manor or delicate blooms that you don’t know the name of. The riotous flowers shouldn’t look this good, but somehow compliment each other in the wrapping. His message made you grin like a swooning school girl;

** **

_Stay safe, crazy lady. I’m not around to save your ass from dastardly villains today, and I think I’m going to like having you around._

** **

You send him a picture of them on your windowsill. Your message to him read:

** **

_Another old man’s gesture, but this one I like. Thank you for the flowers, I promise to stay safe enough to care for them. Text me when you get back home safe and sound, Bucky._

** **

_***_

** **

Falling in love with a man like Bucky was easy for a woman like you. You had grown up with nothing but love and friendship and support in your life. Aside from the last years turmoil, your life had been spectacularly boring in all ways and, looking at what someone like Bucky Barnes has gone through, you couldn’t be happier about that.

** **

It was why you were more than happy to realise that falling in love, for someone like Bucky, was not going to be an easy road. You were certain that within the first month that you were definitely a friend of his. Within the second, you could be assured that you were probably a _close _friend. Month three and the two of you were talking almost every night, whether by phone, text or email, you were in constant contact. For a man like Bucky, the constant ability to be in contact with you, even if he didn’t _see _you, meant more than you could know.

** **

“I always was a bit of a… what’s that word? Nerd?” Bucky’s face shone with amusement through the phones screen as you two face timed each other, six months after you met, “So all this technology we have now? I’m in heaven! My whole room at the Tower is decked out like a fever dream from way back when, I _still _can’t get over what I have access to now!”

** **

“Tech is like your passion then?” You ask, curiously. Whilst Bucky and you spoke a lot, he was careful to keep the conversation on things like his work or what new experiences he had. The tension of what you _really _needed to talk about, his anxiety about being out in public too much and his terror of starting a new relationship and seeing it disintegrate, bubbles just under the surface. You would never push, but you hoped he knew you were there for him, in any way he needed.

** **

Bucky hummed, nodding his head and rubbing his eyes tiredly, “Sorry, doll. Long day at the office, so to speak,”

** **

“It’s okay, we can go to sleep if you like?”

** **

“No… tell me about your passion? What’s happening to your studio?”

** **

Now _that _made you smile. When Bucky has met you, your ex had not long left you suddenly for someone else. The betrayal stung so much worse when you realised he had not only left you with outstanding bills, but he had _also _cleared off with all your savings, hence why you had to sell off all your equipment to meet the deadlines.

** **

Life would’ve been unbearable, except for one thing; Bucky. He had done so much more than just save your rent money that day, he had saved your passion. Not two weeks after you had met, your equipment had shown up at your door with more flowers, the note reading;

** **

_One day you’ll tell me the story about this stuff, until then, take pictures of your food or whatever it is you kids do nowadays._

** **

“My studio is almost up and running, I’m so excited!” You babble happily, thinking about the large space you had leased. It was another thing that you had a feeling _wouldn’t _have happened without Bucky. The space mysteriously came up after you mentioned to Bucky what you were looking for, well within your price range and absolutely _perfect _for what you needed. Bucky never said anything, just sent you more flowers with a note, this time saying;

** **

_Apparently the light is real good in here. Can’t wait to see what you come up with for your first show, doll._

** **

You wanted to use the back to take family type portraits, to keep income coming in, and then every six months or so, use the larger front space to showcase your own work, maybe even some other photographers. The first showing would be on opening night… in one month.

** **

“I…uh… I’m real proud of you, crazy lady. You’re a real talent, I hope everyone that comes will recognise it. I know Stark is lookin’ forward to buying some stuff, well…” Bucky smirked wickedly, “He’s looking forward to me not kicking his ass if he _doesn’t!”_

** **

“Will you be there?”

** **

The question comes out without thought, your instinctive need to have him there overriding the knowledge that he absolutely would _not _want to come. On a crowded street in New York, Bucky, ironically, could hide better than he could in a mid sized and brightly lit space. It was why when you _did _see him face to face, it was always in the busiest places and where it wouldn’t look awkward if he kept an arms length distance from you.

** **

It didn’t hurt your feelings, you had more than enough empathy to understand, but you had to wonder if it hurt _him, _and that’s why you never usually pushed. But your opening was important and, whether he admitted it or not, it wouldn’t have happened without Bucky.

** **

You desperately wanted him there.

** **

“Uhhhh… can I rain check on that, Y/N? I really _want _to…”

** **

“I know. It’s okay. Maybe I can give you a private showing later?”

** **

You knew you had made a mistake with the careless words you used the second Bucky’s face went from his usual golden tan, to a panicked white, the blood dropping from his face alarmingly, “No, wait, I didn’t mean-”

** **

“No. I mean… yes. Y/N… I really love you as a friend, please don’t hate that I can’t give you more… not yet.”

** **

The moment was there, right in front of you both. You could tell him how you feel, how you haven’t stopped thinking about those early morning sky eyes and those perfect lips since you met him, put him on the spot and potentially ruin what you had. Or…

** **

“More? It’s just a showing of all my pictures after hours, old man! Yeeesh, I would never have pegged you immortal types as scardy cat prudes! Don’t worry, Bucky. I’m only after your approval, not anything else. Your opinion means quite a lot to me, you know.”

** **

The last part was said softly, it wasn’t meant to mean anything more than what it did. Bucky Barnes had wormed his way into your life and heart and no matter what the future held, you would cherish his friendship forever.

** **

“Har har har, Y/N,” Bucky rolled his eyes at you, “Old man jokes are just that: OLD. Y’need some new material, sweetheart.”

** **

“I won’t ask _you _for that then.”

** **

The glare Bucky sent you made you snort and, just like that, the tension was broken and things were back to normal. You went to sleep trying not to think about how Bucky wouldn’t be at the most important night of your life so far, and woke up to another bunch of flowers;

** **

_What do you think of these? Your opinion means a lot to me, as well._

** **

***

** **

Opening night, and the place was packed, and you couldn’t be happier. Well, you _could, _but you refused to let that thought linger in your head. Bucky has spoken to you earlier, had even spent some time with you at the market to pick out some vintage decorative items to spice the room up with, and helped you place them. His quota for being around people had been met, and you couldn’t blame him for staying away.

** **

Apart from anything else, he hadn’t been kidding when he said Tony Stark would want to buy stuff, the billionaire and his wife, CEO of Stark Industries, Pepper Potts, had turned up alongside Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, and now there were paparazzi _everywhere. _No wonder Bucky hadn’t even tried to call.

** **

“So, you’re the famous Y/N,” Steve Rogers appeared at your elbow as you looked at your favourite picture.

** **

“I am. I already know your name, sorry,”

** **

“So does everyone else here, apparently.”

** **

“Yeah, well, you’re famous. If you don’t want people to know your name, maybe you should stop being so heroic and handsome or something. There’s only so much anonymity you’re allowed with that sort of behaviour.”

** **

“Yeah, I can see why Buck likes you.” Steve says after he’s finished choking on his drink at your words, and his sea blue eyes twinkle at you, “So, who bought this one? I gotta say, I love it.”

** **

Your favourite photo was technically nothing special, a picture of the Manhattan skyline at sunrise, the Brooklyn Bridge prominent against the rising sun. The sky was almost the exact shade of a certain missing super soldiers eyes…

** **

“I don’t know… the girl keeping track of the purchases put the sign on there not long ago. I was hoping… well.. I wanted to…”

** **

“Give it to Bucky?”

** **

You nod. It’s all you can do right now. His absence, whilst you really did understand it, also just plain hurt…

** **

“He definitely would’ve loved it. Hell, I wanna know who bought it now, too. Maybe I can buy it off them?”

** **

“No chance, pal. This is the best picture here, and I ain’t letting no scrub punk buy it from my best girl,”

** **

Steve grins, winks, and melts into the crowd, leaving you alone with a ridiculously handsome looking Bucky Barnes. His clothes were simple, black slacks and blazer with a dark blue shirt. Simple and perfectly tailored. The way he wore it… it blended with all the other men here and you knew that this suit was camouflage for Bucky. He didn’t want to be seen, but he still wanted to be there. For you.

** **

It meant more than you could say.

** **

“I wanted to _give _you this picture, Bucky. I don’t want you to buy it from me!” You eventually say, stepping closer to him so you could keep your voice low. His responding step closer to you made your head swim. He smelled _amazing, _and his eyes… the colour of them would never be given justice in a _picture._

** **

“Yeah, well, I wanted to buy it. I paid good money for that and there was no damn way anyone else was going to get it!”

** **

“Well, it’s a good thing that I have something to else to show you, isn’t it?” You gesture up the stairs to where your office and work space is, “It’s up there though, is that okay?” 

** **

“Lead the way, Y/N.”

** **

You get upstairs with no interruptions and you switch on the light above the desk where you work, illuminating the gift you had made for Bucky. The look on his face was worth it when he saw what you had made.

** **

_Flowers._

** **

You had taken endless pictures, the sky, the buildings, cars, people, animals, everything to get as much colour as you could, then you had painstakingly created flowers from the pictures. The bouquet was now an almost perfect replica of the very first one he had sent you.

** **

“So… it’s not the forties any more, and women can get men flowers too, you know. I just didn’t want you to have to worry about taking care of them. So… thank you, Bucky. For everything. Happy new studio day.”

** **

The silence dragged on, Bucky just stared at your gift, his metal fingers running over the “petals” repeatedly. Eventually he looked up at you, “You made these? For me?”

** **

“After everything you’ve done for me? Uhhh, _yes! _Of course!”

** **

“I… I don’t know what to say. These are… well, they’re pretty. But not the prettiest thing in this room.”

** **

“Wow, way to brag about yourself, Bucky,” You stammer, his eyes had locked on to you like he had never seen you before and it made you nervous. “Everyone knows you’re pretty.”

** **

“Y/N. Stop.”

** **

Your heart thumped in your chest, surely he could hear it?

** **

“I don’t know how to be that boyfriend type guy anymore. I haven’t felt any kind of inclination to even try since I came back. It’s hard enough trying to do right by my past, never mind trying to meet the right girl and take on her issues as well,”

** **

Bucky pauses, and you wait. You don’t let yourself hope that his words could mean more than they did. You’re his _friend, _and friends talk to each other about important relationship stuff sometimes.

“But, I realised something the other day… I didn’t have to _try _with you. I didn’t try to find you, I never had to think about what to say and I never feel like I’m a burden with you. You’re the most genuine and generous woman I think I’ve ever met and I can’t go another day without telling you that I love you.”

** **

“You…” words fail you past that one syllable, as do your motor functions when Bucky steps away from the “flowers” and takes your hands in his,

** **

“Yeah, I said it first, old fashioned guy that I am. I am in love with you, Y/N, but I am still so scared. Intimacy, emotional and physical… it’s not something that I can promise to be okay with any time soon. I… I get it if you don’t-”

** **

Your fingertips raise to tap lightly against his lips, the sensation of their plush softness leaving them tingling, and you hasten to reassure him, “I love you too, I have for a long time. But if all you want to do is carry on as we are for a while, then I will be more than happy with that. I just want you to be happy.”

** **

“I am.”

** **

“Good! So… when can I take you on a date?” You ask eagerly, still holding onto his hands, “Women can do that now, you know. Take men on dates and _pay _and everything!”

** **

“Ageist. Always ageist with you!”

** **

“Well, you’re old,”

** **

“Fine,” Bucky grins, pulling you just a little closer to him, staring at you with those eyes that captured your heart within a minute of meeting him, “I want one rule though, okay?”

** **

“Yeah? What’s that?”

** **

Bucky dipped his head, his lips just brushing over the shell of your ear, “I want to buy you flowers for every date you take me on. And on the ones I pay for.”

** **

“Now _that_ is an old fashioned rule that I can live with.”

** **

You don’t kiss then, that would be too soon. But some things are worth waiting for, and Bucky Barnes was definitely that.


End file.
